Just a few weeks after the first preview arrived, the 2nd dev preview of Android N has landed. So that you get the first time user experience, I flashed my device and set it up as new. The changes from dev preview 1 are immediately visible, even in the initial setup process.

Chrome beta has been updated to version 46 across Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS. According to Google, this version of the browser is getting some “new CSS animation features, improved performance controls, and a large number of API tweaks.” In other words, this update doesn’t include any exciting user-facing features — it’s mostly a developer-focused update.

Optimized image loading and service worker instrumentation

Tools like srcset allow developers to serve an optimized image variant in a responsive way, but it can be cumbersome and inefficient to use in practice. Developers can now negotiate with the server to download the best image variant for a device using straightforward HTTP request headers. These headers communicate DPR, Viewport-Width, and the intended display width of the resource being fetched to the server.

In addition to improving image loading, developers can now instrument service workers to gather detailed fetch and script timing. Developers can also measure the startup time of service workers more accurately.